Daily Archives: January 9, 2013

Squirrels

A Squirrel In My Attic

My daughters have been claiming to hear strange noises in the attic.  They believe that a “ghost” is rummaging through our boxes of Christmas ornaments.  Not believing in ghosts, I of course have discounted their claims and chalked it up to more teenage drama.  Still when they claim to have heard nighttime noises, I have stood in their bedrooms quietly listening, yet have heard nothing.  I often wondered if I was going deaf, but again decided that it was simply the fact that they watched a television show about houses that were haunted.

Yesterday while my girls were having a snack in the kitchen one said, “Mom, there is a squirrel climbing up the window.”  Remembering that the plumber had paid a visit and slightly moved a tiny piece of soffit near that location, we quickly jumped into action and ran outside to the window screen that the squirrel was hanging onto.   There we found that pesky squirrel pulling down on that tiny piece of exposed soffit with all of its might.  We yelled and waived our hands and the squirrel high-tailed it down into the yard, cheeks filled with acorns no less!  It was clear by how far the soffit had been pulled down that this was not the first time that the squirrel had paid a visit to the attic.  The squirrel stood down in the yard with a look that said it all…it just wanted to go in for the evening.

So apparently my girls are not drama queens after all and we don’t have ghosts that like to play around with Christmas ornaments.  We have a squirrel that has found its way into the attic.  Not a good thing as they can cause serious damage.  Hopefully it is just one squirrel, but experience tells me that he or she likely has squirrel friends up there.

I must fix this entry point after the squirrel/s have left for the day to forage for food or come springtime, there is a good chance that baby squirrels will also be living in the attic, or worse yet, the walls of my home.

Squirrels can cause serious damage to a structure as they urinate and defecate in any location that they choose.  They are also known to chew on electrical wires which have caused fires in structures.  If you hear the pitter patter of little feet in your attic, call a NJ pest control professional like Stern Environmental Group for humane elimination of the critters.

Animal Control, Commercial Services, Disease Carrying Pests, Pest Control, Rats, Rodent Control

NYC Dog Owners Stage Vigilante Rat Hunt

Late at night in a dark alley in Lower Manhattan, the hunt is on. Packs of dogs are stalking New York City’s most infamous pests – rats. Unleashed by vigilante owners pledged to rid the streets of rodents, dogs race down the alley, chasing rats from garbage bags as they move in for the kill. By the end of the night’s hunt, a couple of dozen rats will bite the dust.

While obviously not sanctioned by the city, according to an article in the New York Times, the hunts don’t appear to violate city laws or health codes. Conducted on an occasional basis by the appropriately named Ryders Alley Trencher-fed Society, or RATS, the rat hunts have been going on for 15 years. Society members are mostly local Manhattan residents, although a few members travel in from the suburbs to join the hunts.

While organizers admit they’re probably not making much of a dent in Manhattan’s rat population, they seem to take pride in doing their part to beat back the city’s rat population; although their claim that the hunts provide mental stimulation for their dogs seems to be the real reason for their covert gatherings.

Taking a vigilante approach to rat extermination comes with real risks as these dangerous rodents carry numerous dangerous diseases. For safe, effective rat control, call the rat extermination pros at Stern Environmental.